<p>My child is debating between returning to the sleep-away camp she loves as a counselor or taking an internship in our city's DA office (she had to interview, etc). Her passion is law and politics and this is a great opportunity. On the other hand, she loves camp and knows this will be her last year.
At the moment, her long term goal is a top tier school. From your
experience - would choosing one over the other make a difference in this highly competitive market?</p>
<p>She should do what she enjoys most! If she is focused on a top school- chances are she is working hard throughout the school year on her academics. Too many kids are filling thier resume with things colleges are looking for- instead of doing what they enjoy. Her experience as a camp counsleor also demonstrates good leadership.</p>
<p>If she went to all the trouble to apply and interview for this internship, she must have really wanted it at some point. She needs to think about how she felt then, and visualize herself in both situations mid-summer. (Indoors/outdoors, supervising kids/being supervised or working on her own, etc.) She may really want to go back to the camp now, but there must have been some reason why she saw herself moving on earlier in the year. Recapturing last summer's experience may not be possible.</p>
<p>I told my kids that I would not pay for camp after they turned 16, so the summer after 10th grade, each got a job (lifeguard or other camp staff).</p>
<p>My rising 10th grader will be going to camp and will earn spending money by watching neighbors pets when they go on vacation. Until they can drive, I think summer jobs are more trouble then they're worth.</p>
<p>Agatha:</p>
<p>This was something we worried about, too. Here is what we learned: "Important" summer programs are not essential for college admissions. My son just graduated from high school. He went to plain vanilla summer camp for years. Before each summer once he hit high school, I tried to encourage him to do something "serious" instead in one of several areas of interest. I confess that, in addition to personal enrichment, I had college admissions in mind. He resisted my suggestions. Like your D, he wanted to spend the summers at the camp he loves with friends he loves, and that is what he did. (Full disclosure: During the summer before his senior year he did participate in a relatively brief but highly selective program in one of his areas of interest after camp.)</p>
<p>Camp was even the subject of one of his shorter college essays, and he got into several highly selective schools, including HYP. The relative lack of "important" summer pursuits definitely did not torpedo his applications. (I am not, BTW, bashing such pursuits. I think they’re a fantastic idea for the student who is motivated to do them.) So if your D wants to go back to camp for one last year, please don’t worry about it from a college admissions standpoint. (Mine is returning to camp this year as a counselor.)</p>
<p>her choice but I would lean towards camp: There will time enough during Junior and Senior years for serious work. Play is important!</p>
<p>Play is important, but I wouldn't say being a camp counselor is play. It's a responsible job, even if grossly underpaid. If she got the internship offer this year, I expect there's a good chance she could get it next year as well. It's a hard choice, obviously there is much to learn and gain from the internship as well.</p>
<p>The only job I ever quit was as a camp counselor.</p>
<p>mathmom: of course being a camp counselor is a responsible job. It is also more playful than the way the OP described the internship. Hence my characterization.</p>
<p>Well, if the law opportunity is a one-shot deal, I'd consider that and think about camp next year.</p>
<p>I would tend to doubt that an internship would be re-offered to a kid who turned it down the first time. I agree with zoosermom: do the internship. She can always go back and be a camp counselor next year.</p>
<p>Isn't the internship likely to be "fluff?" </p>
<p>At most offices there are strict limits on what even thrd year law students can do. And colleges students someties work as student investigators, interviewing witnesses - - but I can't imagine what of substance a 10th grader would do in a law office that is different than what she would do in any office (faxing, filing, etc.). </p>
<p>There will certainly be opptys to observe trials - - but she can do that anyway since trials are open to the public.</p>
<p>While law may be her passion today, we all know that kids change their minds easily and frequently. I would let her do what she most wants to do. If she is a solid applicant in other areas, the choice of how she spent her summer between 10th and 11th grade isn't likely to be a dealbreaker.</p>
<p>Your child should not make the choice based upon college admissions. If she is really interested in the internship and wants that type of change of pace, she should pursue it. If she's not ready to give up camp, then she should go back, bearing in mind that she may not be offered that same internship next summer.</p>
<p>Both of my kids went to camp every summer and became counselors at their respective camps. Being a counselor certainly shows leadership.</p>
<p>One is at a HYP school and the other is at a top LAC. They did plenty during the school year, but summers were the time to unwind and be with old friends. That being said, I think they both learned as much from being counselors as they did from the other activities they participated in.</p>
<p>And, yes, kids change their minds about colleges and careers a million times over!</p>
<p>It sounds like you are trying to let your daughter decide which she favors. As a parent, I support your endeavor. It is not easy to step back, and let her weigh the pros and cons of her choices.
Our family took the position of letting DD decide what SHE wanted to do with her summers. I often collected lots of information based on activities she expressed an interest and let her determine what she wanted out of those options.
g'Luck!</p>
<p>To all the people who graciously responded to my post: Thank you!!
Your input was invaluable.
Basically, I sat down with my daughter and told her to take "college" off the table in her decision. I didn't realize just how much that was affecting her (kids in school are talking about this all the time, as you know).
Once she felt "free" to make a decision, she revisited why she wanted the internship to begin with. She is very passionate about law and politics.
Her decision : seize the opportunity and take the internship - and be a camp counselor next year( the camp very generously said she could come back any time).
Again, many thanks to all of you who took the time to respond.</p>